When was the last time you felt beautiful?
Are you beautiful?

I am beautiful.
Are you?
I am soft, slim, sleek, and sensual. I take time, every day, to appreciate, exercise, stretch, and celebrate my body.
Do you?
My hair is either a mess of curls, or swept into a soft straight swing, at my pleasure.
Yours?
I take a hot bath, every night in Epsom salts, with a Rose scented candle, while reading an inspiring book. (This week: Shades of Grey and The Unlikely Peace at Cuchamaquic.)  How do you celebrate the end of your day?

I start every morning at my altar, with prayers of thanks and adoration. The first thing to touch my lips is a huge glass of lemon water, followed by a fantastic workout at either Soul Cycle, with my icon and rock star, Danny Kopel, or the Y with my workout buddy. Then home to shower, and slather myself with Jo Malone’s Grapefruit and Basil body lotion. I slip on a pink terrycloth robe, and head to the kitchen to make a gorgeous fresh green smoothie with kale, sprouts, spinach and banana. And a toasted slice of fruit and nut mana bread.
Does your morning ritual feed your heart, body, mind and soul?

I choose something from my closet that presses me further into my beauty. I like being barefoot as I work, so jeans with a flowing top, or a dress that can be enhanced by bare legs and a fresh pedicure is what is required to allow me to jump from folded knees into a dance break at a moment’s notice. Not much makeup, a touch of jewelry, always lip gloss.
How about you? Do you dress for you? Or for someone else’s standards?
I have the tiniest commute in the world. I walk through a large metal door from my living room to my office, and hit my leopard faux fur covered chair and take the reigns of the wild filly called The School of Womanly Arts.
How do you begin your day?

I am 55 years old.
55 can be a time of a woman’s life where she begins to question her own beauty. Hellswheels, darlings, who are we kidding, here? Any age can be a time in a woman’s–or a girl’s–life where she starts to question her own beauty. We have all been ill informed by a culture that teaches us to doubt ourselves with way more certainty than it takes to trust ourselves. And when a woman doubts herself, even a shred, even a drop, her beauty is diminished. Eventually, vanquished.

But, you will be relieved to learn, beauty is always right there.
Right exactly here.
Just by your side.
It is just a reach, a stretch, a spiritual practice away.
Really, Mama?
Beauty?
Are you sure it is not doled out at birth?

Hells no, my Symphony.
Beauty, She is a spiritual practice.
She must be courted, tended to, and served. Like the queen she is.
And every woman, yes, every woman, whether she is 15, 55, or barely alive, can invite Beauty into her court and have her cast her magic spell.
I was standing in line at a Starbucks this morning, just behind a woman in her late 70s. Who was gazing up adoringly at the man she was with. Wearing shocking red lipstick and a brightly colored coat, cutting through the rainy day doldrums with her adorable adoration and charm.
I want what she’s having.
What is she having?
A serving of beauty so wide, so large, so rapturous, it melted centuries, not just years, and took me to an eternal place of iconic feminine rapture which is available to all of us, all the time, when we are diligent about the spiritual practice of Owning our Beauty.

Here is a small serving of homework from page 110 of my gorgeous book, Mama Gena’s School of Womanly Arts. This exercise is called, “You Are Cinderella and Her Fairy Godmother.” Each of us has areas of our life and experiences that we want but hold back on, often telling ourselves we can’t have it because we are not “beautiful” enough. It’s time to blast through that barrier, my lovelies. And with this exercise you can do just that. Answer this question, on paper: “How would my life be different if I were beautiful?” Make your list and, perhaps, share it with a girlfriend. Have at least five to twenty things on your list. You will be surprised at the revelations that surface for you. One Sister Goddess said that if she were beautiful, she would be nicer to her husband. Another single Sister Goddess said she could pick up any guy she wanted. Perhaps for you it’s a raise, or a new apartment, or great sex. See what’s on the list, and then you can decide if you want to move on any of those goals now.

Please post your favorite ways of celebrating The Womanly Art of Owning Your Beauty below. Each of us can learn so much from each other’s practices. (Pssst, did you know that when you become a fan of our Facebook page, you receive a free audio lesson in this Art? Click the “Like” button on this page to get the lesson.)

With so much love and pleasure,
Mama Gena

P.S. If you really wanna hone your skills in the Womanly Art of Owning Your Beauty, check out Virtual Pleasure Boot Camp.

Photos: lizlinder.com